HSV Grange Named 'Best Luxury Car' In New Zealand

[BBDOS CV8]

Unfortunately according to the self-proclaimed style experts on this site, it is too plain, derivative, jelly-bean, no Bold American Styling, no Bling, a pig wearing lipstick. They obviously have the ear of the Buick dealers who veto'd this as a North American model when Lutz showed it to them at a private presentation, prefering another 'heritage'-laden FWDer.

Never mind that this is the second country with no skin in the game (because it makes no cars) to award a variation of this car 'Best Luxury Car' over the Lexus 460h that has the rest of the world in a tiz. The Saudis rated the standard Chev Lumina Caprice as best, even though it is missing 60hp and a lot of special HSV bits - and they can buy almost anything, including Cadillacs.

So New Zealanders can enjoy it, like Chinese and Arabs (car of choice for various Middle East police forces). But Americans can't, even though Holden could build probably spare ten-twenty thou a year starting next week - all the parts to make it LHD 50-states compliant are in inventory already, including a Buick grille and badging.


No, Americans aren't interested in a luxury GM vehicle with engines from 260-425hp, five-six speed autos and a RWD IRS chassis rated as good as the state-of-the-art Germans.

Don't mind what's in it or how it drives, it just doesn't look right.........

[FenwickHockey65]

Ughhhh...bring it over as a Park Avenue and I'd be the youngest Buick driver in history.

[Ssom]

What I love about the AA awards is that they always come up with some left-of-field merit based decisions.

Here is the complete list

Fairfax Media Small car award

Mazda 2 Sport Manual ($23,100)
Kia Picanto Sport Manual ($16,990)
Smart Fortwo Automatic ($22,900)
Suzuki Swift Sport Manual ($24,990)
Suzuki Swift 1.5 XE Manual ($20,800)
Hyundai Getz 1.5 CRDi M5 ($24,990)
Mitsubishi i-car Auto ($17,990)
Diahatsu Materia Auto ($24,800)
Mazda 2 Sport Manual ($23,100) [WINNER]
Kia Picanto Sport Manual ($16,990)
Smart Fortwo Automatic ($22,900)
Suzuki Swift Sport Manual ($24,990)
Suzuki Swift 1.5 XE Manual ($20,800)
Hyundai Getz 1.5 CRDi M5 ($24,990)
Mitsubishi i-car Auto ($17,990)
Diahatsu Materia Auto ($24,800)

JEVIC Compact Car award

Skoda Roomster 1.9 Tdi Manual ($35,990) [WINNER]
Citroen C4 1.6 HDi EGS Auto ($36,990)
Holden Astra Diesel Manual ($37,990)
Peugeot 308 XSP Auto ($37,990)
Peugeot 207 GTi Manual ($37,990)
Peugeot 207 Sport Auto ($36,990)
Suzuki SX4 2.0 Ltd Sport Hatch Manual ($24,500)
Hyundai i30 CRDi 1.6 Elite M5 ($35,990)
Hyundai i30 CRDi 1.6 Elite A4 ($37,490)
Hyundai i30 2.0 Elite A4 ($34,990)
Hyundai Elantra 2.0 Elite A4 ($32,990)
Subaru Impreza 2.0R Sport Hatch Manual ($31,990)
Subaru Impreza 2.0R Hatch Manual ($26,990)
Mitsubishi Lancer SX ($29,990)
Mitsubishi Lancer VR-X ($32,490)
Toyota Corolla GLX Hatch Auto ($36,990)

Eyepro Medium Car Award

Mazda3 SP23 Auto Leather ($41,995)
Ford Mondeo Wagon Manual ($37,460)
Ford Mondeo Zetec Hatch Auto ($40,990)
Volkswagen Passat TDI Auto DSG ($55,990)
BMW 320d ($66,900)
Kia Magentis Diesel Auto ($39,950)
Kia Carens Diesel Auto ($41,990)
Holden Astra Sri Manual ($35,990)
Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDi Classic ($72,900) [WINNER]
Peugeot 308 HDi Auto ($42,990)
Hyundai Sonata 2.0 CRDi Elite A4 ($43,990)
Subaru Legacy 2.5 Luxury Wagon Auto ($46,990)
Subaru Legacy GT Wagon Auto ($59,990)
Toyota Camry 2.4 GLX Auto ($46,000)

National bank Large Car award

Holden VE Commodore SV6 Auto ($48,990) [WINNER]
Volvo V70 3.2 Auto ($69,990)
Toyota Aurion Grande Auto ($58,850)
Lexus IS250 Auto ($80,980) (WTF?)

Firestone Small Crossover award

Mazda CX-7 Auto ($48,995)
Ford Territory Ghia Turbo Auto ($72,990)
Skoda Octavia Scout Manual ($48,990) [WINNER]
Holden Captiva LX Diesel Auto ($53,490)
Suzuki SX4 2.0 Ltd i-AWD Manual ($26,500)
Land Rover Freelander 2-l6 Auto ($69,990)
Land Rover Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto ($69,990)
Hyundai Tucson 2.0 CRDi Elite 4WD ($44,990)
Hyundai Tucson 2.0 City 2WD M5 ($28,990)
Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi Elite A5 7S ($56,990)
Subaru Outback 3.OR Ltd Auto ($59,990)
Subaru Tribeca 3.0R Auto ($67,990)
Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 XLS Auto ($39,990)
Mitsubishi Outlander V6 VR-X Auto ($48,990)
Toyota Highlander Auto ($49,990)
Toyota RAV 4 Auto ($39,900)

BP Ultimate Large Crossover award

Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDi ($118,990)
BMW X5 3.0sd ($130,000)
Mercedes Benz GL320 CDi ($140,900)
Range Rover Sport TDV8 ($144,990)
Volvo XC70 D5 ($84,990) [WINNER]
Mitsubishi Pajero Exceed Diesel ($76,990)
Toyota Land Cruiser 200 ($109,500)
Lexus RX 400h ($106,200)
Audi allroad 3.0 TDi ($131,900)
Audi Q7 4.2 TDi ($145,900)

Vero Luxury Car award

Holden HSV Grange ($97,990) [WINNER]
Jaguar XJ TDV6 ($159,990)
Lexus LS460 ($200,000)
Lexus LS 600hL ($250,000)

GE Money Executive Car award

BMW 530d ($128,000)
Citroen C6 2.7 HDi Auto ($109,900)
Holden VE Calais V Auto ($61,490)
Mercedes Benz C280 Avantgarde Auto ($93,900) [WINNER]
Subaru Legacy 3.0R Spec-B Sedan Auto ($59,990)

Castrol Performance Car Award

Mazda 3 MPS ($45,995)
Volkswagen Eos V6 ($61,990)
BMW M3 Coupe ($170,00)
Holden VE HSV SSV Ute ($55,490)
Holden HSV Maloo R8 ($71,990)
Jaguar XKR Coupe ($246,490)
Volvo C30 T5 ($51,990)
Renault Megane Sport F1 R26 ($49,990)
Hyundai Tiburon 2.7 V6 M6 ($39,990)
Subaru Impreza WRX ($42,990)
Subaru Impreza STi Spec R ($64,990) [WINNER]
Mitsubishi Evo X ($62,990)
Audi R8 ($260,000)

Vodafone Enviromental Award
Volkswagen Polo/Jetta/Passat Bluemotion

Mito Safety Award
Subaru Impreza 2.0 R It's about time Subaru got recognition for this, they are the unsung heros of safety

AA Supreme Award Winner
Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec R

All GM Vehicles are in Italics.

[redimpss5]

I would love to see this car. I could not find it on the Holden website. What I did find is a dozen cars I would love to own! Send them to North America, so Chevy could sell many cars.

[t-rex]

Originally Posted by redimpss5

I would love to see this car. I could not find it on the Holden website. What I did find is a dozen cars I would love to own! Send them to North America, so Chevy could sell many cars.

HSV is sold as a separate specialty brand (of sorts)...

http://www.hsv.com.au/index.asp

Why doesn't anybody think this would work as a new Bonneville? With the G8 nose grafted on front it'd make a better Bonnie than Buick!

[EldoFan]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Here is another 1992 vintage grange:

Beautiful car.....no offense though, the first thing I thought of when I saw this was our Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

[mikmak]

None taken. I know nothing about the Cutlass Supreme....and you can save me the cost of an airline ticket (to hunt you down), by keeping me in the dark.

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by BBDOS CV8

Unfortunately according to the self-proclaimed style experts on this site, it is too plain, derivative, jelly-bean, no Bold American Styling, no Bling, a pig wearing lipstick. They obviously have the ear of the Buick dealers who veto'd this as a North American model when Lutz showed it to them at a private presentation, prefering another 'heritage'-laden FWDer.

Never mind that this is the second country with no skin in the game (because it makes no cars) to award a variation of this car 'Best Luxury Car' over the Lexus 460h that has the rest of the world in a tiz. The Saudis rated the standard Chev Lumina Caprice as best, even though it is missing 60hp and a lot of special HSV bits - and they can buy almost anything, including Cadillacs.

So New Zealanders can enjoy it, like Chinese and Arabs (car of choice for various Middle East police forces). But Americans can't, even though Holden could build probably spare ten-twenty thou a year starting next week - all the parts to make it LHD 50-states compliant are in inventory already, including a Buick grille and badging.

No, Americans aren't interested in a luxury GM vehicle with engines from 260-425hp, five-six speed autos and a RWD IRS chassis rated as good as the state-of-the-art Germans.

Don't mind what's in it or how it drives, it just doesn't look right.........

It's still March. Turn in your diplomatic pouch and pass port.

[t-rex]

Originally Posted by mikmak

None taken. I know nothing about the Cutlass Supreme....and you can save me the cost of an airline ticket (to hunt you down), by keeping me in the dark.

Like you don't have Google images...

[asylum]

Originally Posted by t-rex

Like you don't have Google images...

woah, that is scarily similar

[chinamonty]

take out the obvious rear window similarity and they arent all that similar.

[FISH]

Originally Posted by chinamonty

take out the obvious rear window similarity and they arent all that similar.

[Generation IV]

Is anyone actually surprised it won? It is a great car. And no I'm not going to requote the whole article but it is a beast as well. I do however think that there is room for a spec above the Grange and Caprice. I loved the 2007 Buick Park Avenue for China, except the grille. Nice interior upgrade and nice touches throughout the cabin, very nice. I hope we see it, or at least something along those lines. Maybe the series update to the VE/WM range will see a nice interior upgrade even though the interior is nice already.

[asylum]

Originally Posted by chinamonty

take out the obvious rear window similarity and they arent all that similar.

the taillights are also very similar, horizontal, flat across the whole rear, clear indicator section that is also copied into the boot lid.

[mikmak]

^^^ I noticed the same cues.